As Roy Greenslade has written, Clarke's 'extraordinary' career ranged from sub-editor, then writer, on the Manchester Guardian, first world war reporter for the Daily Mail and Reuters, to setting up Britain's first PR agency, Editorial Services Ltd in 1924. He wrote the first code of ethics for public relations and in 1929 managed the publicity for the Prince of Wales (later Edward VIII) when he visited mining communities in the north of England.

The Manchester Guardian, 9 March 1906. Click on image to read full article.

It was in 1904 that a 24-year-old Basil Clarke joined the Manchester Guardian's sub-editors' room. As well as editing the work of others, the ambitious young journalist was occasionally allowed to write articles of his own. One of the very first pieces to be published was about his experience of having to appear at Manchester Police Court after his chimney caught fire and the smoke attracted the attention of a zealous police officer.

In 1907, Clarke managed to persuade CP Scott, the paper's editor, to allow him to switch to a reporting role. The appointment was a success. One assignment, for example, was to report on a rugby match in Edinburgh, but, as shown below, he devoted as much space to describing his impressions of the city as he did to the rugby.

The Manchester Guardian, 21 March 1910. Click to read.

Clarke had a keen interest in aviation and it was his coverage of an air show at Bournemouth in 1910 that was to be his biggest story for the Guardian. Among those flying at the show was Charles Rolls, the co-founder of Rolls-Royce, an accomplished pilot. He was killed in one of the displays and Clarke, witnessing one of the biggest stories of the age, produced a powerful piece of journalism.

The Manchester Guardian, 13 July 1910. Click to read.

Most of Clarke's pieces for the Guardian were published without a byline, although a few had B.C. at the end, and, very occasionally, the full name - such as on The Tunnel (5 January 1909) and Lieutenant Von B (22 April 1910).

Sir Basil Clarke died on 12 December 1947 and the Guardian published his obituary the next day.